Precruise Extension Virgin, any advice or tips

[Clay Clayton]

We have booked a two night precruise extension before our Beijing to Hong Kong cruise next October. We have always handled our own planning before and after a cruise so giving up the control is tough but I’m trying.  Other than that any other advice or tips on how to make the most of the Viking precruise experience?

[Hanoj]

Things are different in China, at least they were when I visited Guangzhou (Canton) and Changsha (in the Hunan province) in 1982.  Our group was accompanied by Chinese officials, as chaperons the entire time. I expect things have changed.

 

Keep in mind that Viking contracts these pre-cruise extensions with on shore providers so your experience may not resemble your on board Viking experience. There may be queues and delays, but if you keep an open mind, you will be better prepared to enjoy this cultural experience. We visited Mao's birthplace in 1982 and also a new resort (on a beautiful lake for which I don't remember the name) the Chinese took great pride in, but the workmanship revealed evident deficiencies. I think things have improved since then.

 

Enjoy your trip, and keep an open mind.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, Hanoj said:

Things are different in China, at least they were when I visited Guangzhou (Canton) and Changsha (in the Hunan province) in 1982.  Our group was accompanied by Chinese officials, as chaperons the entire time. I expect things have changed.

 

Keep in mind that Viking contracts these pre-cruise extensions with on shore providers so your experience may not resemble your on board Viking experience. There may be queues and delays, but if you keep an open mind, you will be better prepared to enjoy this cultural experience. We visited Mao's birthplace in 1982 and also a new resort (on a beautiful lake for which I don't remember the name) the Chinese took great pride in, but the workmanship revealed evident deficiencies. I think things have improved since then.

 

Enjoy your trip, and keep an open mind.

 

Things are different in China but Viking has been operating in China for almost 15 years now. At this point, they have guests in Beijing most nights of the week from March to the beginning of November on the river cruises (which include 3 nights in Beijing). While I don't know the exact contractual arrangements, Viking has its own operation in China and the same guides and escorts work for the company year after year; they know the routine. Tourism is big in China and the guides are graduates of local training programs. Their English is excellent as well as their knowledge of Chinese history, economy, arts and sciences, etc. etc. I would expect that at this point adding in another busload of guests will be taken in stride.

 

We did China with Viking in 2010. We did not stand in lines; our guides took us right up to the head of the lines. Our tours were coordinated each day so that all five or six buses were not all trying to get into the same place at the same time.

 

I just looked at the plan for your stay and it is pretty much what they do with the river cruise guests. Unless you absolutely hate bus tours, I suggest going with whatever Viking has put on for you . If you decide you want to go off on your own, just tell your guide (just make sure that you carry the business card from your hotel to show the taxi driver) --although you will have to the Day 3 touring with Viking if you want the Viking transfer to the ship (which is okay because it is Tienanmen Sq and Forbidden City and you want a good guide to get the most out of both places).

 

Check out the thread in River Cruising called Viking China Part 2. It is thousands of posts long and very repetitious, so work backwards no further than March, 2016. Read only the comments that have to do with your time in Beijing.

 

Also, Day 1. You will arrive midday or later. You will be exhausted and you won't want to do much more than have dinner (in the hotel) and crawl into bed. Forget all that stuff about spending the afternoon touring and consulting with your Viking host. Just find out where you are meeting the next morning.

[Clay Clayton]

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Also, Day 1. You will arrive midday or later. You will be exhausted and you won't want to do much more than have dinner (in the hotel) and crawl into bed. Forget all that stuff about spending the afternoon touring and consulting with your Viking host. Just find out where you are meeting the next morning.

 

Thanks to both you and Hanoij for your thoughts regarding Viking in China.  I was unable to locate the thread you mentioned. Any idea who started it, a search for China Part 2 (and even just China) wasnt helpful.

 

While I appreciate the thoughts on China, I was also interested in Viking's extensions in general.  Anything to watch out for or do in advance so that things run smoothly?

 

As far as Day 1, it will actually be Day 5 in China and Day 10 in Asia!  We have arranged our own tour of Xi'an prior to joining the Viking extension which starts after our Celebrity cruise from Vancouver to Tokyo.  We are spending seven nights in Tokyo and Kyoto then flying to Xi'an for three nights before bullet training to Beijing.  Our first day there we have a tour of the Great Wall to a differentsection than Viking visits.  The day before we connect with Viking is actually currently unplanned.  We figure by then we will be ready to sleep in a bit and just wander.  The next day, we have a tour scheduled to show us (supposedly) real life in China.  Visits a housing community, neighborhood market, etc. before transferring us to our Viking hotel. 

 

Thanks again!

[Peregrina651]

Viking China (Part 2)

 

WOW! You have a great pre-cruise planned! Xi'an was amazing; you will not regret having taken the time to see it.

As for Viking pre-cruises in general, it is hard to generalize, since as Hanoj points out, they are mostly run by third party contractors. Most do not have as many planned activities as Viking is offering in China. For example, out extensions in Kiev and Prague, included one short tour and the rest of the time, we were on our own.

[Rawmac]

We did the "3-day" post-extension in Beijing last autumn,  following the Far East Discovery cruise from Hong Kong on Orion.  I assume that you will do much the same.  We did not get an itinerary until mid-cruise despite asking often prior to leaving home.

 

We docked in Tianjin, Beijing's port three hours by coach from the capital where we arrived soon after noon (those leaving China went straight to the airport and saw none of Beijing).  Our luggage was taken from the coach by the hotel staff (JW Marriott Beijing Central) as we were off, off to T Square and the Forbidden City.  Our local guide for our whole stay was top notch, excellent English, very knowledgeable about Beijing and about China/Chinese, a sense of humour and did not hang about. She was a regular Viking guide and knew all about us "Round Eyes" and how to deal with us.  Great person.

 

T Square is big, really big, and busy, and we spent about 45 minutes crossing it, and then into the Forbidden City for a couple of hours.  Reading up beforehand, and a small B****z guide book is essential.  Then back to  the hotel, get settled in (very nice hotel, no problems).  So that was half a day of our 3 days.

 

Next morning after breakfast (bit unusual for non-orientals) we went to the Summer Palace, sailed on the lake and visited the pandas at the zoo (only the pandas, nothing else, except the shop, which sold everything panda).  We ate a Chinese lunch and then walked through the Lama Temple, which was extraordinary, with a commentary from our excellent guide.  Evening was free for eating or shopping (mall next to hotel).

 

Last morning, up early, breakfast and on to coach for airport -- a two-hour moving traffic jam in rush hour.  Saw tall buildings, most devoid of architectural merit.  Had an interesting lecture from our ever-present guide about all things Chinese and how fast China was developing.  No planning department hold-ups here. That was our third "day", only a transfer to the airport.

 

Although expensive, our tours in Beijing were wonderful, excellent and full of wonder, and by far the best tours of the holiday. In fact, the best tours I have ever been on.  They were a totally superior class from those provided by the ship.  So if you are on a pre-cruise extension, you get the best bit first.  If you have the guide we had.  

 

I have already posted several times about the Far East Discovery cruise on Orion.  Lovely ship, good food, excellent junior staff, dire excursions, management not award-winning, shoreside support lets the whole show down.

 

 

[tvmovielover]

+1 on this extension being different from some other Viking extensions because of their long time presence in China.  Our 2007 river cruise (there is less river than land in this one) is still our favorite of all our Viking river and ocean cruises so far.  We did a pre-trip extension to Hong Kong and the Li river also great to see.  I looked up your choices and saw that some other include Xian and other cities so glad to hear you are doing Xian.  The Warrior site is great but the city itself also has a lot to offer as does Beijing beyond the usual forbidden city, busy busy wall site etc.  Have a wonderful trip.

[Clay Clayton]

11 hours ago, Rawmac said:

We did the "3-day" post-extension in Beijing last autumn,  following the Far East Discovery cruise from Hong Kong on Orion.  I assume that you will do much the same.  We did not get an itinerary until mid-cruise despite asking often prior to leaving home.

 

We docked in Tianjin, Beijing's port three hours by coach from the capital where we arrived soon after noon (those leaving China went straight to the airport and saw none of Beijing).  Our luggage was taken from the coach by the hotel staff (JW Marriott Beijing Central) as we were off, off to T Square and the Forbidden City.  Our local guide for our whole stay was top notch, excellent English, very knowledgeable about Beijing and about China/Chinese, a sense of humour and did not hang about. She was a regular Viking guide and knew all about us "Round Eyes" and how to deal with us.  Great person.

 

T Square is big, really big, and busy, and we spent about 45 minutes crossing it, and then into the Forbidden City for a couple of hours.  Reading up beforehand, and a small B****z guide book is essential.  Then back to  the hotel, get settled in (very nice hotel, no problems).  So that was half a day of our 3 days.

 

Next morning after breakfast (bit unusual for non-orientals) we went to the Summer Palace, sailed on the lake and visited the pandas at the zoo (only the pandas, nothing else, except the shop, which sold everything panda).  We ate a Chinese lunch and then walked through the Lama Temple, which was extraordinary, with a commentary from our excellent guide.  Evening was free for eating or shopping (mall next to hotel).

 

Last morning, up early, breakfast and on to coach for airport -- a two-hour moving traffic jam in rush hour.  Saw tall buildings, most devoid of architectural merit.  Had an interesting lecture from our ever-present guide about all things Chinese and how fast China was developing.  No planning department hold-ups here. That was our third "day", only a transfer to the airport.

 

Although expensive, our tours in Beijing were wonderful, excellent and full of wonder, and by far the best tours of the holiday. In fact, the best tours I have ever been on.  They were a totally superior class from those provided by the ship.  So if you are on a pre-cruise extension, you get the best bit first.  If you have the guide we had.  

 

I have already posted several times about the Far East Discovery cruise on Orion.  Lovely ship, good food, excellent junior staff, dire excursions, management not award-winning, shoreside support lets the whole show down.

 

 

Thanks for your thoughts. It appears your experience was just like ours except in reverse.  Thanks for your commentary as it makes me feel better about the extension.  I was worried that it might not be great tours.  

 

I've read your posts about the ship's excursion issues and my fingers are crossed that they will have the kinks out. 

 

Did the included tour in Tianjin take you to the Great Wall?  How was that?  Did yo hear any comments on the included Tianjin tour?

thanks again!

[Clay Clayton]

10 hours ago, tvmovielover said:

+1 on this extension being different from some other Viking extensions because of their long time presence in China.  Our 2007 river cruise (there is less river than land in this one) is still our favorite of all our Viking river and ocean cruises so far.  We did a pre-trip extension to Hong Kong and the Li river also great to see.  I looked up your choices and saw that some other include Xian and other cities so glad to hear you are doing Xian.  The Warrior site is great but the city itself also has a lot to offer as does Beijing beyond the usual forbidden city, busy busy wall site etc.  Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks for the input.  I am looking forward to the non-warrior tours in Xi'an we have booked through an agency in China.  We will be doing a bike ride on the wall and a "foodie" tasting in the Muslim Quarter.  Similarly in Beijing, I'm hoping that by going to the wall privately and to the section that isn't the one used by all the hotels for their big bus tours, that we will have a better experience.

 

Thanks again! 

[Rawmac]

Did the included tour in Tianjin take you to the Great Wall?  How was that?  Did yo hear any comments on the included Tianjin tour?

 

Yes, we visited the Great Wall from Tianjin on the last day of the cruise.  The Wall is a three-hour drive from the ship in a comfortable coach with a good guide, who had a lot to tell us.  I found the journey through the countryside interesting.

 

In the bus park at the Wall, we were pointed in the right direction and then left to our own devices.  The guide did not accompany us.  We were able to walk parts of the Wall, steep and not easy in places, but most managed some bits.  There were stalls selling tourist "tat" for which the currency seemed to be dollars -- yuan were not appreciated!  After a couple of hours, we met our guide again and were taken to a restaurant for lunch.  I cannot judge the food quality, but it seemed to be OK.  The return to the ship was quiet, with the guide speaking for only a short time.  This was the only time those not on the post-cruise extension were anywhere near "Beijing" itself, as they would fly home the next day.

 

Most of us seemed to be satisfied with the tour, we had walked the Wall and had been told a lot of its history.  The box was ticked.  Some were unhappy with the meal, others wanted more toilet breaks, but most were glad that this last tour was much better than those earlier in the cruise.

[nuneham]

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 We will be doing a bike ride on the wall and a "foodie" tasting in the Muslim Quarter.

We recently returned from a land tour in China & think that you will enjoy both of these activities. The wall is really wide & easily accommodated all of the cyclists & walkers. We particularly enjoyed our early evening visit to the Muslim Quarter, the food choices were impressive. There is also a night market closer to the wall which is very popular with locals. In both markets you will find souvenir stalls but it's the food options which may tempt you more. 

We used the bullet train twice - from Beijing to Pingyao, & from there to Xian. We had first class seats, which were comfortable & the carriage was clean. An easy & relaxing way to travel.

Our first stop was Beijing & we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. It gave us a good introduction to the country & the people. We weren't with a group, but we did meet some Viking travellers. They were enjoying the trip, thought the hotels & guides were good. There were a few mutterings about the early starts.

Enjoy China! I think your independent travel will really enhance the experience.

[Clay Clayton]

On 6/22/2019 at 11:35 AM, Peregrina651 said:

Viking China (Part 2)

 

WOW! You have a great pre-cruise planned! Xi'an was amazing; you will not regret having taken the time to see it.

As for Viking pre-cruises in general, it is hard to generalize, since as Hanoj points out, they are mostly run by third party contractors. Most do not have as many planned activities as Viking is offering in China. For example, out extensions in Kiev and Prague, included one short tour and the rest of the time, we were on our own.

Thanks for the link...not sure why I couldn't find it!